Fairytales
by Little Miss Escapist
Summary: In which Sakura is doubtful, and Sasuke is otherwise. And maybe, just maybe, they'll have their happily-ever-after. sakuracentric and sasukecentric. sasusaku, with various other implied pairings.
1. Sakura

Secretly, and only ever as such, she likes to believe in fairytales and happy endings.

_knights in shining armor and gorgeous princesses and beautiful love, love, love._

One might conclude that, for a sixteen year old girl(_woman?_), it is hopeless and childish to believe in such foolery.  
She thinks she is merely holding on to hope.  
For what little hope there is in the world of kunoichi. As shinobi kill and claim glory in the day, kunoichi kill and lose dignity(_and so much more_) at night. Theirs is a world of lies, deception, death, blood and _pain, pain, pain_(a feral, utterly sickening _thing_ that claws at anything and everything and you just _hate _it and--).  
Yes, it's nice to hold on to what little light there is. The small flicker of hope that manages to illuminate a realm of darkness.

_and even if for a split second everything is all right, she is happy._

And so she closes her eyes, and dreams(for her team, for kunoichi, and for shinobi, too, damnit!).  
Of things that could—_should've_—been, of happily-ever-afters and everything in between. Because she's still that twelve year old girl, somewhere in there.  
Of what might be, of things she will _make _be. Because she's _stronger_ now and she can _make_ things happen.  
Of masks and novels and orange jackets and fans and spinning red eyes. Because that's what she _lives_ for.

It's painful and euphoric at the same time.  
She is not stupid, she knows these things might never be. No matter how strong she's become; how hard she tries.  
Somethings can't be changed. Some prices are too much to pay.  
She wishes life weren't so, but it is. _Live with it_, her inner self practically spits.  
She tries, but all the burden of never-could-be's pile on her shoulders. She feels as if she holds all the weight of the world.

…dreams are free so she'll do as she pleases.

She dreams of _him _back in Konoha, where he _should_ be.  
She dreams of Naruto's face on the Hokage Mountain, where he _belongs_.  
She dreams of Kakashi's twisted Icha-Icha happily-ever-after, for after all the pain and suffering he's been put through, he _deserves_ his happy ending.  
She dreams of giving life messy ebony hair and emerald green irises hiding ruby red Sharingan eyes, Uchiha fans embroidered on their backs.

Her heart twists and weeps and breaks.But she goes on…  
She dreams of Naruto smiling at Hinata;  
Of Shikamaru and Temari just _kissing already, damnit._  
Of Ino and Chouji, so opposite but so _right_.  
Of Neji holding Tenten's hand; it's _such a beautiful picture._  
Of every single kunoichi and shinobi's fucked-up fairytale that _might never ever happen._

…she dreams that, even for a split second, she is not Haruno Sakura, but Lady Uchiha.

_it's all so much more than a shattered fairytale or a broken love song or a dying(_gone!_) dream._

"_Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, I pronounce you hus—"_  
"_This is so troublesome…but I love—"  
"Who cares about weight__—"_  
"_I'll make my own destiny with you, Te—"_  
"_Obito, look at my life now. Isn't it gre—"_  
"_Rokudaime-sama! Naru—"_  
"_Uchiha Sasuke, you are cleared—"_  
"_Kaa-san!"  
She turns to face her so__—_

Crack.

…_ shards of what could have been, shattered and broken and gone._

Sakura opens her eyes, and moves forward.


	2. Sasuke

_i__ said __i'm__ coming home,_

_i'm__ coming home tonight._

_-_ Take This To Heart, Mayday Parade

And when Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi are six feet under, there is no satisfaction, no sudden change of heart, but ache.

A dull ache eating away at what's left of his broken, broken, _broken_, lousy, _pathetic_ excuse for a heart. He's yelling in supposed triumph and fake victory—

_Like how the paint chips off a medal and oh, it's not gold after all_:

An almost convincing facade to hide the emptiness. He thinks he might cry, but glory be, he doesn't, but it's so _emptyemptyempty_ and Sasuke feels he might drown in what isn't there but he doesn't and –

His Hebi is gone, which doesn't really matter because, somehow, his _team_ – _God's own __obra__maestra__ of orange and pink and gray – _is there. They hold him, heal him, bring back life from nothing—

and Sasuke is content.

Naruto is there and grinning and crying and yelling because it's all over,  
_  
yes, __all over_ _but not really because they'll write something new_,

and they can go home and _finally_ have that elusive happily-ever-after.

_"Hey, you and Sakura can finally get some!" he snickers as __Sasuke__ smirks and Sakura hits_.

Not all bonds are quite so severed because Sasuke thinks that maybe, maybe, maybe Naruto could be his rival, his best friend, his _brother_ and—

Kakashi is there and smiling softly, not quite proud nor disappointed, but happy. Because really, he misses the lazy days of training and novels and _glee._ Sasuke thinks that maybe, maybe, maybe this man could be his teacher, his guidance, his _father _and—

Sakura is there, bliss gloriously radiating off her like it always should, like it was meant to(_he sings psalms to heaven because _she's not crying). Sasuke wonders where the silly little girl had ended and this beautiful woman began, wonders were infatuation had ceased and true love had started. And has he always loved her as he did right now? –

_Yes. Ever since ever._

Maybe, maybe, maybe this woman could be his lover, his wife, his black-haired, green-eyed _future_.

And maybe, just maybe, he could let go – turn away from all the power he had worked so hard to obtain, all the feral, bloody mindsets he had drilleddrilleddrilled into his mind, all these bothersome

(_not__ annoying, because annoying is _lovely)

_maybe_'s – and believe in the fairytale about to come true.

_there__ is a beautiful song, __unhear__d__ but _there_: the sound of a heart being healed._

They are shinobi and these sort of things ought be beyond them. Theirs is world of blood and pain and emptiness and all that is not _fairytale_.

But Sasuke will believe, will love these men and woman, will start anew.

_Naruto__ their __Hokage, __Kakashi__ the ever-present __aide__, Sakura at his side._

Sasuke opens his eyes, and moves forward.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This style, this concept? DRUGS, I TELL YOU. And I simply couldn't resist. ;) AND, HAHA, NO, THE SASUNARU FRIENDSHIP IS _NOT_ INSPIRED BY THE WHOLE YOUAREMYBROTHERMYBESTFRIENDFOREVER DITTY. 

lol, unedited and rushed, sorry. I'll be back to it soon?  
im planning one last chappie for this. maybe. XD


	3. Ever After

_to__ ever __ever__ after,_

_forever__ could even start today._

-Ever Ever After, Carrie Underwood

It was Chouji and Ino's first anniversary, and Ino, being Ino, did not let the chance for a party slip.

On Chouji's insistence, it had been a small affair at the Akimichi residence, only the Rookie Nine and Team Gai invited. Still, it was a happy occasion, which was probably expected with people like Naruto and Lee involved.

The guests had come rushing in. Shikamaru had arrived first(but eventually left first, too, for a visit to Suna had been scheduled), followed by Team Gai and Team Kurenai. Fifteen minutes later, Team Kakashi(albeit without Kakashi) made their entrance. No one was surprised when Kakashi himself had come a good two hours later.

All was well in the world.

Sakura laughed merrily at one of Ino's anecdotes, along with Tenten and Hinata. Missions had brought the kunoichi together, and they were eventually inseparable.

Tenten smirked. "Well, that doesn't compare at all to what Neji—"

"What I?"

Tenten flushed at her fiance's intrusion. Ino and Sakura could not contain their laughter, while Hinata settled for giggles. She wasn't about to laugh at her cousin's expense.

"Nothing," Tenten assured, fighting off an onslaught of laughter.

"Aww, Neji-san, you ruined what could have been an _amazing_ story!" Sakura cried jokingly.

Neji quirked an eyebrow.

"As much as I hate to disappoint you, Tenten and I are to meet with Hiashi-sama. Actually, I believe you, too, Hinata-sama, are to take part?"

Hinata blinked, as if thinking over it for a while.

"Oh!" she said. "I think Naruto-kun is also involved." She smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I'll be taking my leave, too."

"Oh, it's alright!" Ino said, still as jovial as ever. "It's about time we wrapped up, anyway. Have fun, sweethearts."

"Don't worry," Tenten winked. "It's a story for another day. You'll enjoy it, I swear."

Sakura grinned. "I'm sure we will. Now run along, you guys. Let's not keep Hyuuga-sama waiting."

With a polite nod, Neji whisked Tenten away. Hinata gave a little wave and quick "Happy Anniversary!" before running off to drag Naruto away from Kiba and Lee.

Sakura sighed, tucking few stray strands of pink behind her ear.

"You know, Ino..." she began.

"Mm?"

"I never thought," Sakura said. "That, even in a thousand years, we'd all have ended up like this. Like a fairytale."

Ino snorted. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her childhood friend. "Of course it's a good thing, Pig. But with our professions and all..."

"Pssh," Ino scoffed. "Stop wondering, and enjoy it."

Sakura laughed for the umpteenth time that night. "Yeah, I guess I should."

"Hey, guess who's coming over, Forehead!" Ino wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

Before Sakura could reply, Sasuke's smooth baritone cut through.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned around, smile already in place. "Yup?"

"I'll walk you home." The sentence, in itself, seemed more of an offer. Yet, with the way the man had said it, it came out as an outright demand. As expected of Uchiha Sasuke...

"Sasuke-kun, can't you see I'm—"

"Oh, come on, Forehead." Ino winked at the pair. "It's getting late." Sakura held back a snort.

"Akimichi Ino, it's _nine o'--_"

"_Sakura." _Sasuke's tone could have been _imploring_.

"I swear, the two of you..." Sakura mumbled, while getting off her chair. "Alright, alright...I'll see you around, Ino?"

"Definitely."  
"Happy Anniversary, pig."

Ino smug smirk softened into a sweet smile as she watched her friends' retreating backs.

_That fan _would_ look good on Forehead's back, I suppose..._

---

The walk to Sakura's apartment was one of silence, except for the occasional bouts of idle chatter.

By now, Sakura was used to this.

With Naruto, she had full-out, animated conversation. With Kakashi, she had playful banter. With Sasuke, she had an intimate, somehow happy silence. It was _Sasuke_, and Sakura loved it for what it was. _Him._

But, for some reason, there was something...odd. Sakura was sure it was emanating from her love-teammate-friend, and whatever it was, it had been creating thick tension between the two. This was not _him_, and she didn't like it at all.

Perhaps it was the moon? It was full and beautiful...just as it had been when he _left_, and according to some accounts, _the night of the massacre_. Swiftly, she turned to him, mouth hanging agape and ready to speak.

Just as her words were about to form, Sasuke halted. Intrigued, Sakura also came to a pause.

She realized they were in the park, which was, indeed, on the way to her apartment. But, for some reason or another, it was strangely…devoid of anyone but them. Idly, she also noted the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. A petal found its place on her shoulder.

"Sakura..." His usually monotonous voice was shaky.

"Yes?"

With such great intensity, his eyes bore into her own. His usually proud, near-emotionless eyes were giving in to flickers of unease, anxiety, and..._excitement?_

For a moment, he seemed hesitant. _Vulnerable_. Yeah, vulnerability was adorable on him...Sakura would have laughed were it not for the seriousness of the situation.

Surprising the medic, Sasuke swiftly got down on one knee, his hands producing a velvet box from his pockets. In that velvet box, lay a beautiful golden ring, shaped into a cherry blossom at its peak. A diamond gleamed proudly in the blossom's center, surrounded by emeralds. Simple, but absolutely beautiful. Sakura could hardly contain her shock. Any proper train of thought soon deserted her.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Her breathing became short and heavy. Her pupils were probably dilating from the astonishment, she found herself musing, despite her lack of coherent thought. The cherry blossoms continued their dance.

"Marry me, Sakura?"

Silence reigned for a while, unrelenting in its thirst for dominance. The concept slowly, painfully slowly, embedded itself into Sakura's mind. Finally, she grinned, overwhelmed by sheer joy. _The_ Sasuke, _the_ Uchiha Sasuke, proposed to her under the lovely full moon? Under the stars? With cherry blossoms gracefully dancing around? Never mind that they hadn't even started dating yet!

Sakura laughed heartily.

"Only if you, Uchiha Sasuke, love me, too." She grinned again as relief seemed to wash over him. A petal landed on his hair, creating a gorgeous contrast. "'Cos I'm _really_ not settling for anything _less_ than my fairytale ending."

Smirking, Sasuke stood up, and slipped the ring onto her awaiting finger.

---

As quickly as they could, they made for Sakura's apartment, unwilling to risk being seen by Konoha's denizens.

Sasuke soon acknowledged he had never tasted anything so sweet, while Sakura soon acknowledged that she had never felt anything more wonderful.

When their passions died down, they lay together on the couch. Sasuke had fallen asleep—_ironically – _and Sakura reflected.

They were shinobi and fairytales weren't meant for them—

_Screw it_. She stole one last glance at her beloved's(_betrothed's!) _sleeping face. A soft smile blossomed on her full, pink lips.

_Whatever the reason, I'm going to enjoy every minute_ she decided before succumbing to the Sandman's coaxing.

---

Her dreams were filled with happiness.

"_Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, I now pronounce you husband and wife."  
"So I'm guessing I can kiss the bride now?"  
"By all means."  
_  
"_This is so troublesome…but I love you, Temari. "  
"Finally!"_

_"Who cares about weight__ when I've got you, dear?"  
"Really now, Ino?"  
_  
"_I'll make my own destiny with you, Tenten."  
"Neji, you're becoming a sap."  
_  
"_Obito, look at my life now. Isn't it great? I mean, all my students...surpassing the Sannin!"  
_  
"_Rokudaime-sama! Naruto-sama! THESE PAPERS WON'T SIGN THEMSELVES!"  
_  
"_Uchiha Sasuke, you are hereby cleared of all charges."_  
_"Dobe, I have been for quite a while. By the Godaime. We aren't even at a trial."  
"Eh, whatever."_

"_Kaa__-san!"__  
She turns to face her son. His emerald eyes are wide and shining with glee, and Sakura cannot help but grin back__  
"Yes?"  
__"Remember that technique Tou-san said he'd teach me? Well, he finally taught me! And I got it on--__"  
"His first try."  
Sakura look__s__ up to see her husband, __whose onyx eyes show nothing but pride. "He did well."  
"You bet I did!"  
Sakura laughs, happy and proud and bursting with love.__  
"I'm glad."_

And there was no shattering, no breaking. No twisting; no weeping.

Just laughter and smiles. Just kisses and dancing.

Just fairytales about to come true.

…_shards of what are to be, beautiful and wonderful and _real.

---

They opened their eyes, and –

_loved__, laughed, cried, smiled, hugged, kissed, moved—_

lived.

And, yes..._  
happily ever after._

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**Author's Note: **OMG PAST TENSE AND SEMI-COHERENCE. GASPGASPGASP. 


End file.
